From China with Cruelty
by NancyMay
Summary: If you haven't seen 5.4, this contains a spoiler. This story kept me awake all night working out how Jean and Lucien would go forward now.


She sat up in bed and grinned. Lifting the sheet she saw marks on her body she hadn't seen for years. He'd turned up on her doorstep, small suitcase in hand,

'You did say, if ever I was in China to call.' He raised his hat with a cheeky grin.

She stood aside and allowed him to enter,

'So nice to see you,' she had replied, 'I hope the journey wasn't too onerous.'

'Quite pleasant, thank you.'

He had hung his coat and hat on the peg in the small hall of the apartment and put his suitcase under the side table.

'Tea?' She asked, heading to the kitchen.

'Lovely,' he followed her.

They had drunk their tea, looking each other up and down, lasciviously, and he had moved from sitting opposite her to sitting next to her, close enough to breathe in her scent, heady and alluring to him. She looked into his eyes, then down his torso then to his lap, eyeing greedily the bulge in his trousers. He took her cup off her and put his hand round her face drawing her into a kiss that was at first soft and gentle then deep and hungry.

She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and he let go of her so the garment could be removed completely, then his tie and shirt followed in quick succession. He pulled her blouse from the waist of her skirt and pushed his hands round her small breasts, squeezing the nipples, hard as bullets through her bra and slip.

They fell onto the floor from the small couch, ripping clothes off and tipping the coffee table over, lips, teeth and hands finding skin. Just looking at each other had them almost over the edge and when he slipped his hands between her legs she was slick and ready. He plunged into her and thrust hard, both releasing quickly, gasping for breath.

'I have dreamed of this,' he sucked on her earlobe, 'finally...'

'Your letters,' she gripped his buttocks holding him in her, 'do you know what they did to me?'

'Hope it's what yours did to me.' He started to move against her again and she bucked under him.

'I'll...argh...show you, nngh... later.' She closed her eyes and tightened around him.

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In the bedroom, she lay and showed him what his letters had done and he followed her hands with his tongue, taking her over the edge again. Then he took her hand and she did to him what he had done to bring himself some relief while they were apart. It had been over a year since either had had that kind of contact with another human being and for the rest of the night they made up for their celibacy, finally falling asleep in the early hours.

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She slipped out of bed and went to bathe. She was sore but she didn't care, their plan had, apparently, worked. They could be together, they would have no money worries, her allowance was enough to live on, his 'exports' would bring in payments, although not regularly.

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'Did you write to him?' Frank asked, as they cleared up the mess in the tiny living room.

'Yes, he should have the letter by now.' Mei Lin smirked, 'he will have to find a way to have her, it will ruin him, but nobody leaves me behind like that.'

Frank Carlyle didn't blame her husband for his fall from grace, in fact Blake had been generous, offering to cover his debts, but on the way to the docks that day he had asked her how she felt. She had said she was sad at the end of her marriage, and that she didn't know how she would manage once it was all sorted, as she would have no claim on him, then. That was when the plan had been hatched. Frank hadn't had anyone since the death of his wife, save for the odd visit to a brothel well away from where he lived. They had had one night before she sailed and had satisfied each other's needs. Each would use the other, it would be a relationship of sorts, and he would eventually join her in the apartment that had been found for her and that her husband would pay for.

She had made contacts for him, he had his contacts in places of interest, and he had proved his worth. Now he could join her and work from that side.

On the days that Li visited he was out of the apartment, she could not know what they were doing, being in contact with her father. If Lucien found out he would have grounds to divorce her and get off, in her words, blameless.

For a few weeks this worked. Frank arranged a couple of 'visits' to Australia for underground groups, which brought in extra money. Admitting he had a gambling habit Mei Lin controlled the cash flow and found plenty for him to do to keep him away from any mah jong games, which were potentially life threatening if he lost.

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Li had been out with her daughter and decided, on the spur of the moment to call in on her mother. It was a distant relationship, they hadn't really bonded and Mei Lin was not sure about being a grandmother. She kept Su Mai at arm's length but said the right things. Usually Li called before visiting but today, she had time before she caught the bus home.

Hefting the baby onto her hip, Li knocked at the door and waited. Mei Lin opened the door and gaped. She spoke in Mandarin saying how surprised she was to see her, as she had not called.

Li was not surprised to see her mother in a loose robe, she would dress if she was going out.

In the bedroom, Frank was lying waiting for his mistress to join him. They had had a successful night scheming with some comrades and were planning on celebrating. He cursed silently and listened to them go into the sitting room. His coat and hat were on the peg in the hall so he would have to make an appearance. Grabbing his clothes he headed, barefoot, to the bathroom where he dressed and flushed the toilet to give the idea he was a guest using the facilities. Taking a deep breath, his story in his head hoping she would follow his lead, he went and stood in the doorway.

'Mrs Blake,' he smiled, 'sorry about that. Too much tea.'

'Superintendant, this is my daughter and granddaughter,' she introduced Li and Su Mai, 'they called on impulse.'

'Li, this is Superintendant Carlyle, a friend of your father's. He is here on business.'

'So pleased to meet you, Li,' he lied, 'I'm afraid it was also an impulse to see how your mother was. I will be happy to report she seems well.' Like hell, he thought.

'I'm sorry I disturbed you, mother.' Li nodded at Frank, 'I shall leave you to your guest and see you next week.'

'Lovely to see you, my daughter,' Mei Lin smiled and showed her out.

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Li looked through the letters her father had sent. He had spoken of Frank Carlyle, how he had taken over from his old friend, but the latest letter said Matthew Lawson was back. Also, her mother would not receive male guests in such an outfit, it was something she put on over her nightwear in a hurry. She was also very sure she had seen the superintendant around on her trips to the market, meeting with somewhat undesirable persons.

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Lucien and Jean seemed to move in an alternative universe while they worked out how to deal with Mei Lin. Jean would not let him claim he was a drunk, even though he insisted it was the truth.

'Not any more, my darling,' she whispered one evening.

'But what now, Jean?' He was angry with his wife, she had agreed, what was she playing at? 'I can't say I abandoned her, because you know how much I looked for her, and we haven't committed adultery, even though half the town and most of the congregation think we have.'

'Honestly, Lucien, I don't know.' She leant against him. He refused point blank to involve her in a show of their committing adultery, she would never be able to show her face in town again, and it was hard enough now.

Most nights she lay in her bed crying, as silently as she could, wondering if she should say to hell with it, and live in sin.

Stalemate.

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She sorted the post with a heavy heart. Everything she did weighed her down more each day.

When she went to mass she sat in the shadows, never taking communion, she explained to Father Emery it was because some members of the congregation made her feel unwelcome, and it had taken all his skill as a listener to get that out of her. He had seen her one day, on her own, praying. He knew she hadn't committed any sin that prevented her taking the sacrament so he slipped into the vestry and poured a goblet of communion wine and placed it on a tray with some wafers.

'Mrs Beazley,' he touched her softly on the shoulder as she started to leave, 'please, come into the vestry.'

She looked at him and he saw how tired she was, her once bright eyes were dulled with sadness and pain. She allowed herself to follow him, sure in her mind he was going to say she could no longer attend the church.

In the vestry he put a hassock on the floor and she knelt and bowed her head. He said the final blessing of mass then blessed the wine and bread and she took communion, tears running down her cheeks.

'Mrs Beazley,' he held out his hand to help her up and indicated she sit in the chair by his desk, 'there is no reason why you can't take communion. I am happy to provide it for you, privately, if it will give you some comfort.'

'That's very kind of you, Father,' she smiled, wiping the remnants of her sorrow with her handkerchief, 'but you shouldn't put yourself out on my account.'

'I can give communion to as many or as few parishioners as I want, Mrs Beazley, and say a private mass.' He smiled, 'just because the ladies of the congregation choose to abandon you, it doesn't mean the church has.' That day will come, he thought, when you marry a divorced man, but until then...

'Thank you, Father.' She shook his hand and left, feeling a little more hopeful.

There was one letter from China, and she noted it was from Li, but addressed to them both. She doubted she would be able to read it, Li wrote in Mandarin, but she opened it anyway.

She sat down with a thump on a kitchen chair. Li's handwriting wasn't the best and her spelling was suspect but it was perfectly readable.

'Dear Father and Jean,' she began,

'I am not shur wher to start. I saw mother2 weeks agoe and ther was a man in the flat. She told me he was Mr Carlyle, on a visit. She gave him his police rank, but I was sertan you sed he had been sacked in disgrase. I am sory, father, I have spyd on her, watched the flat. He comes and gose at will, has a kee and thay seem verry closs. He dos not leev at nite.

Esteemed father, I fink she is living with him as his wif. I am so ashaymd of her.

Plees, father, do not fink ill of me, I no you want to marry Jean and you and mother will never be together agane.

Your loving and dutiful dorter

Li.'

Jean covered her mouth with her hand, she was shocked. What was Carlyle up to. She remembered when he had escorted Mei Lin down the drive he had been polite and gentle. This could only have started on the journey to the docks and over night. He hadn't returned to Ballarat until he had seen her safely on the boat, but nobody thought anything of that. It looked like Li had her father's nosy nature, it made her smile, but also worried her. As soon as Lucien came back from the morgue she would show him the letter.

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They sat in the study reading the letter together. Lucien said he was surprised she had written in English, but it only highlighted how she felt about him and Jean, in that she accepted her as her future step mother.

'Now what, Lucien?' Jean asked, 'Mei Lin said you had three ways you could obtain a divorce, now, it would appear you have a fourth. Not your adultery, but hers.'

His face was white with anger. She must have written the letter to him after she had started this affair with Carlyle. He paid for the flat and gave her an allowance, she was still his wife. While he was thinking his way through the maze of emotions the phone rang. Jean picked it up,

'Dr Blake's residence.' Her voice was heavy with disappointment. 'Oh, Li.' She turned and looked at him, 'yes he's here, I'll hand you over to him.'

She handed him the receiver and left. They needed some privacy and anyway they would converse in Li's native tongue, and she didn't speak any dialect of Chinese.

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She was sitting at the kitchen table peeling vegetables absentmindedly when he came out of the study. He still looked angry but behind his anger was a light of hope.

'Li has hired a private detective.' He sat down and played with the peelings, 'I will send her some money to cover the cost, but she says she will have some photographs to send soon and then we can go forward.'

'What is Carlyle doing there?' Jean put down her knife and took his hand.

'No idea, but she says she has seen him with some undesirable men, men who arrange passage out of the country, and money has changed hands.' Lucien half smiled, 'I liked Frank, now it would appear he is no better than Munro.'

'Li seems to have inherited your inquisitive nature,' Jean rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, 'for which I suppose we ought to be grateful.'

He hummed in reply.

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The wait for the photographs and further intelligence seemed interminable. They couldn't tell anyone, they hadn't said anything about Mei Lin not petitioning for divorce, so Charlie and Matthew just thought they'd rowed about something, and neither wanted to get involved. When the information arrived it was quite a substantial package. There were detailed reports of the comings and goings of Frank and Mei Lin. Photographs of them hand in hand, leaving restaurants, smiling and laughing. Lucien felt let down, by them both. He went to see a solicitor, a specialist in divorce cases, and he agreed he had more than enough evidence to obtain a divorce, citing his wife's infidelity.

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Mei Lin was horrified to receive the divorce petition from Lucien's solicitor. She was not required to appear at the Melbourne court but if she wished to do so she would have to be there on the date specified in the letter. She could send a statement admitting that she committed adultery with ex-Chief Superintendant Frank Carlyle. If she did so Dr Blake would make a one off settlement on her, the divorce would be granted and they would be free to go their separate ways.

'How!?' She waved the letter at Frank. 'How did he find out?'

He looked at the copies of the evidence that had been sent with the petition, it had been done so professionally, but who had set it in motion. The only person he could think of was Li. Nobody else had seen him inside the flat. They had been followed, that much was clear, cleverly, very cleverly.

'Li?' He offered, looking at her. 'She didn't seem convinced when she called that day.'

'And she has kept away lately, not even visiting on her usual days.' Mei Lin muttered. 'Damn! What can I do?'

'Nothing.' Frank took her hands, 'now he is in charge. Lucien Blake always gets his man, he has all the proof he needs, if you argue against it, it will get messy, names will be dragged through the mud, yours in particular.'

'Her?'

'Jean?' Frank laughed half heartedly, 'she will come out of it smelling of roses. The only downside for her is that she will not be able to take communion after mass, but for her, a small price, one she has always been willing to pay.'

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Two months later Lucien walked down the steps of the courts in Melbourne, lighter of heart, but strangely saddened. If only Mei Lin had petitioned as she had originally agreed then all this wouldn't have happened. He was free to marry Jean, who was waiting for him at the bottom of the steps.

They walked arm in arm, in silence, to the car.

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Over dinner with their lodgers they explained what had been happening over the months, and why they had been moody.

'Sorry, Charlie, Matthew.' Lucien held Jean's hand, 'we didn't want to burden you with the sordid story, but it's all over now. Jean and I will get married quietly, gossip will subside to a dull roar again and life will go on here.'

'What about Frank?' Charlie asked, 'he's obviously up to his neck in something unsavoury.'

'He's being investigated by immigration here and the authorities in China.' Lucien sighed, 'he's been facilitating illegal entry to the country, by means of sending people to places where nobody asks questions about the number of immigrant workers. He built up a network of factory owners who wanted cheap labour. He and Mei Lin were living rather well on their earnings, both of them will be dealt with over there.'

'And Li?' Matthew asked, pushing his empty plate away.

'Her evidence is invaluable, she will have to be in court when they are tried, which won't be pleasant for her, but afterwards she may come to see us, it's only a thought.'

The plates were washed and they all settled down to their evening drinks, until Matthew and Charlie left the lovers to think about all that had happened and what their future may hold. All good things, they hoped.

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Well, I never thought I'd make Frank Carlyle the bad guy, but if the writers of the show will insist on delivering a curved ball, what's a girl to do?


End file.
